I arrived at the office late, again. Onome had already resumed by the time I walked in. As soon as she learnt of my arrival, she sent for me and conjured some story of how I had been coming late everyday and how it wasn’t good for the department.I was just about to start explaining myself when she interrupted me,

“You know what? I am placing you on three weeks suspension. Maybe by the time you sit at home for three weeks, you will get your act together and turn a new leaf”. Then she handed my suspension letter to me and said,

“You’re dismissed Miss Ayorinde. Have a good day.”

She faced her laptop and continued whatever she was doing. I was too stunned to move an inch from there, till I heard her annoying voice again,

“Do you need me to call security to escort you home?” I heaved a sigh, looked at her and said,

“Onome Aburu. Two can play this game. I’ll surely be back.” Then she laughed loud,

“Teniola, my darling, you can’t do anything. Now if you’d excuse me, I’ve got work to do.” I walked out of her office and went straight to Fayo’s office. I stormed into her office and screamed,

“I’ve had it up to here with this girl”.

“Ahhnn. Kilode. What happened again?” Fayo asked.

“Can you believe that she suspended me? For three whole weeks”, I replied.

“Suspended ke? What did she say you did?”, Fayo asked again.

I narrated the whole story to her and she was in shock. I started pacing up and down her office,

“That’s not fair now. She knows you live in Agege. How can she suspend for what you have no control over?”.

“Fayo. I am tired of this girl and her wahala. What kind of life is this?” I said.

“But you sef. Shebi I told you to move in with me? You refused. Now you see. If you were staying with me in Lekki now, will she have opportunity to play football with your head?”, Fayo responded.

“Leave that thing Fayo. You know I don’t want to inconvenience you. Even if I move to Lekki sef, Onome will still look for another way to torment me.” I answered.

Fayo replied,

“Ok now. Go back to Agege. When you resume after suspension and she fires you one week later for lateness, your eye will clear.”

“Ahnn. Bad luck ke? How can I be wishing you bad luck? You, my best girl. Ko possible. Oya no vex. Forgive me. Teniola omo Ayorinde. Ore mi to sure.”, Fayo hailed. I let out a small laugh.

Fayo had a way of making me smile even in my angry moments. She was always cheerful and never let anything get to her. She was never angry for more than ten minutes. She would always say,

“You only live once abeg. That once is not for me to be worrying my head over nothing”.

The next thing I heard Fayo say was,

“Wait sef. This threat you made to Onome…”

‘It wasn’t a threat. It was promise.’, I cut in.

“Ehnn. Threat, promise, iwo lo mo. How do you intend to keep it?”, She asked. Then it hit me. I had blurted out in anger at Onome and I didn’t have any idea how to fulfill my promise. I stared hard at Fayo and said nothing.

“Wait o. Don’t tell me you don’t have any plan towards that. So you were just running your mouth? Saying your own without thinking?”, Fayo said.

“Babe I was angry. The words just came out. I didn’t mean it. Well, till she sneered at me and said I couldn’t anything. That’s why I came to you…”, I responded.

“Gbenu soun. You, your anger, plus your promise are all mad. You were just running mouth up and down with no concrete plan. You were depending on Fayo. When I finish racking my head to give you better advice, you will throw it away and do the rubbish that is in this your big head”, Fayo said as she used a finger to poke my head.

I laughed heartily and hailed,

“Fayo! Fayo! Olori 1 of Lagos. After you, before you, there is nobody. Help your friend na. Ejo”.

“Oya, I’ll help you. Before you say I don’t want you to progress.”, She said.

“Thank you ore mi. You don’t know what this means to me.”, I smiled.

“Don’t get too excited o. There is a condition.”, She said.

“Na wa o. Which condition again?” I asked.

“Simple. You will go to Agege, pack your things and move in with me. That’s phase one of your ‘EXTREME MAKEOVER’.”, She answered. I was confused at her statement.

“Extreme Makeover ke? You have come again o”, I said.

“Just shut up and do as I say. The next three weeks are going to be so much fun. You, my friend, is going to transform from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan.”, Fayo said as she rubbed her palms together in excitement.